Farmer ends life over ‘poor’ crop

A cotton farmer from Sothriyam village in Tiruvarur district, who had consumed pesticide reportedly worried over stunted growth of his crop, died at the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital on Saturday.

R. Rajendran (43) had raised cotton on one acre of land that he owned at Sothriyam. He was reportedly upset that his crop, which had also suffered a pest attack, was nowhere near the quality of what was ready for harvest in rest of the village.

According to his son Philip Raj, Rajendran had been lamenting about repaying the loan that he had taken to raise the crop. Unable to fathom the means for repaying his debt, Rajendran on Wednesday consumed pesticide at his field itself. Neighbours found him unconscious at the field and rushed him to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital where he was being treated. Rajendran died at the TMCH on Saturday.

While Sothriyam villagers attribute the death to a debt trap, Valangaiman police in Tiruvarur district claim that Rajendran had consumed poison due to chronic stomach ache.